The present disclosure relates to a product dispensing device.
In the related art, a vending machine to sell a product, for example, a canned beverage, a pet-bottled beverage and the like is provided with a product accommodating rack in a product storage box inside a main cabinet serving as a vending machine main body. The product accommodating rack includes a plurality of product accommodating passages extending in the vertical direction and a dispensing device disposed in a lower part of the respective product accommodating passages.
In general, the dispensing device is configured to include a lower pedal member and an upper pedal member. The lower pedal member and the upper pedal member are coupled with an AC solenoid, which is an actuator, via a link member, and configured to suitably move forward and backward in the product accommodating passages when the AC solenoid is turned into the energized state.
In such a dispensing device, a state is formed in which the upper pedal member moves backward from the product accommodating passage while the lower pedal member moves forward into the product accommodating passage in a standby state. Accordingly, the lower pedal member abuts against the lowermost product accommodated in the product accommodating passage, and the downward movement of the product accommodated in the product accommodating passage is regulated.
Further, in a case in which an command to dispense a product is given, the upper pedal member moves forward into the product accommodating passage via the link member when the AC solenoid is turned into the energized state in the dispensing device in the lower part of the product accommodating passage that accommodates the corresponding product, and abuts against a second product from the lowermost side, and accordingly, the product and products accommodated above the product are regulated from moving in the downward direction. In addition, when the AC solenoid is turned into the energized state, the lower pedal member moves backward from the product accommodating passage, only the lowermost product is dispensed in the downward direction, and the product slips through the lower pedal member, and then, the lower pedal member moves forward into the product accommodating passage by a biasing force of a spring. Thereafter, when the AC solenoid is turned into a non-energized state after the energized state is canceled, a state is formed in which the lower pedal member having moved forward into the product accommodating passage is regulated from moving backward, and a state is formed in which the upper pedal member moves backward from the product accommodating passage, thereby returning to the standby state described above (for example, see JP 4407086 B).
Meanwhile, the lower pedal member and the upper pedal member are moved forward and backward by turning the AC solenoid, which is the actuator, into the energized state or the non-energized state in the above-described dispensing device, and thus, the AC solenoid is disposed in the vicinity of the lower pedal member and the upper pedal member. This means that an electric component such as the AC solenoid is disposed in the vicinity of the lowermost product, which is adjusted to the sales temperature, and eventually means that the electric component such as the AC solenoid is disposed in a region in which the temperature environment is most severe. Thus, there is a risk that trouble such as failure is generated in the AC solenoid and the like due to dew condensation or the like.
There is a need for a product dispensing device which is capable of suppressing generation of trouble in a driving source of a dispensing mechanism in view of the above-described circumstances.